Although winter is an unusual time for to think about decks, you’ll be surprised how important it is to properly care for your summer escape in the cold months. Today you’ll learn how to care for your deck when conditions get icy, and why it is important to remove snow and ice regularly.
When there has been sleet or heavy snow, your deck naturally gets covered with ice and packed snow. At first, this seems harmless, but there are some dangers and consequences for leaving snow and ice as-is until it melts. Here are the top reasons why they must be removed:
- Safety: Icy conditions are treacherous for walking safely, especially for small children. Even when treading carefully, it is easy to miss a step and fall, causing serious injury.
- Structural Longevity: Snow and ice are surprisingly heavy. The excessive weight from packed snow and sleet that freezes overnight can cause a deck to collapse.
- Deck Hardware: Keeping snow on your deck can wear down hardware more quickly. When you can, remove the snow so that your deck can keep its hardware for as long as possible.
Deck Care
The good news that if you partake in regular maintenance, your deck will be less likely to collapse from heavy snow. Treating your deck will also prevent moisture damage that results from slowly melting snow.
- Waterproofing- Using sealant to lock out moisture from entering your deck can prepare it for wet conditions, including snow. It’s also possible to skip the yearly maintenance and seal your deck with a Continental membrane. One application protects your deck for years and coats it with an attractive design that can also reflect the sun in the summer.
- Maintenance and inspections- When you keep your deck structurally sound through regular inspections, it will be less likely to collapse from excess weight. A structurally sound deck is typically safe unless the height of the snow exceeds three feet, but still we recommend that you remove the snow to reduce the stress on your deck.
- Watch out above! Your roof can also damage your deck. Watch out for icicles that hang over your deck. If sharp icicles fall on your deck, they can puncture membranes and cause other types of damage to wood.
The Dos & Don’ts of Deck Snow Removal
By following these tips, you can remove snow and ice safely without causing any damage to your deck:
Do:
- Use a plastic or rubber blade shovel.
- Shovel parallel to deck boards so that your shovel does not catch the edge of a board.
- Use a broom to sweep away light snow that isn’t packed. This actually should be the first method you reach for because it has a low chance of scratching your deck compared to shovels.
- Use ice melting products for seriously packed ice that your shovel cannot dislodge.
Don’t:
- Use a metal shovel. You risk scratching your deck. If this is your only option, leave a thin layer of snow so that your shovel does not scratch your deck.
- Shovel lengthwise because your shovel will catch a board’s edge and cause damage.
- Try to shatter ice on the deck’s surface. This can easily result in denting your deck and breaking holes in sealants or membranes.
- Use ice removal products that are not approved for your deck’s surface type. Check with your manufacturers to see what products are safe. For example, salt and calcium chloride is excellent for composite decks.
- Use any ice removal products that contain colorants in their ingredient list.
- Put sand on a wood deck because it is abrasive.
Deck Replacement & Repair in Northern Virginia
Whether you’re looking for better form or function, or simply feel that a new deck is in order, trust Noble Roofing, the preferred choice for all home improvement projects in Centreville VA and its surrounding cities. Give us a call at (703) 404-0505 to speak with our experts. You can also request a free estimate through our online request form today.